A 20-pound beagle named Daniel surprised animal control officials after escaping death in a gas chamber, reports the Associated Press.
After no one claimed the stray dog at a shelter in Florence, Alabama, Daniel and 17 other unadopted pets were sent to the gas chamber, notes the New Jersey Star Ledger.
But after 17 minutes, Daniel was the only pet to miraculously survive, said animal control officer Vincent Grasso of Florence, Alabama in an interview with NBC.
The dog has now found refuge in Rockaway, New Jersey, after Linda Schiller, founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue arranged for the dog to be flown up north with the help of Pilots N Paws, a network of registered pilots who voluntarily relocate animals to rescue groups, reports The New Jersey Star Ledger.
Florence city spokesman Phil Stevenson says no one is sure why Daniel survived, but cites three animals who've survived the gas chamber over the past 12 years or so, reports AP.
The Humane Society estimates that between six and eight million animals are brought to shelters every year, and three to four million of them are euthanized in the gas chambers.
Schiller is hopeful Daniel's survival will raise awareness of the campaign to stop gassing unadopted pets. Many states have banned gas chambers for euthanizing pets, including Alabama. But that law won't come into effect until next year, reports NBC.
Visit Petfinder.com or the ASPCA website to learn more about adopting a pet in need of a home.